the blog of Bishop Kenneth L. Carder

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Prayer of Lament and Longing

God of Love and Peace, who created us to live in harmony rooted in mutual respect, compassion, and justice: We have lost our way and now wander in the toxic wasteland of cruel hatred, shameful disrespect for the dignity of others, and the normalization of verbal and physical violence. In such a time, our prayers seem powerless and we cry out, “How long, O Lord? How long?”

Hear our laments and turn them into actions on behalf of compassion, justice, and peace.

We lament the coarseness of our public discourse, while we long for civility

We lament the disrespect for those who differ from us, while we yearn for mutual respect amid our differences

We lament the tribal nature of our politics, while we long for commitment to the common good

We lament the inequity in our economics, while we want all to have access to your table of abundance

We lament the arrogance of always having to be right, while we desire the humility to live with ambiguity and mystery

We lament the hatred and cruelty within our life together, while we hunger to love and to be loved

Move through the dark recesses of my own heart, O God, and purge me of all hatred, arrogance, prejudice, and ill-will. Create in me a clean heart and put a right spirit within me, that I may be an instrument of your Love and Peace. Amen.